Butler stays in the family: New coach is LaVall Jordan

INDIANAPOLIS — Butler did not promote an assistant coach this time but still stayed in the Butler family.

The university is bringing back LaVall Jordan as head basketball coach, the school announced Monday night. Extensive talks with with athletic director Barry Collier began Sunday.

Jordan will replace Chris Holtmann, who left Friday to succeed Thad Matta at Ohio State. Holtmann was introduced Monday at a news conference in Columbus, Ohio.

Jordan agreed to a six-year contract, a source said. The news conference to introduce him is tentatively set for Wednesday.

“This is a dream come true,” Jordan said in a statement released late Monday night. “Butler is a place that means so much to me and my family, and I am honored and humbled to lead this storied program."

Jordan, the head coach at Milwaukee of the Horizon League, is the first hired by Butler who was not already on the staff since Collier himself in 1989.  Previously promoted: Matta (succeeding Collier), Todd Lickliter, Brad Stevens, Brandon Miller and Holtmann.

Jordan, 38, becomes Butler’s 24th basketball coach, fourth in six seasons and ther first black head coach in any men’s sport. He interviewed for the job that ultimately went to Miller in 2013.

Collier interviewed two Butler assistants: Terry Johnson, 43, who has been part of the staff for 12 years; and Ryan Pedon, 39, a top recruiter. Micah Shrewsberry, 40, an assistant coach to Stevens for Butler and the Boston Celtics, had dropped out of the running earlier, according to a source.  

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“LaVall is a tremendous coach who exemplifies the 'Butler Way,'” Collier said. “He has played a major role in successful programs that have competed at the highest levels. LaVall also has a deep appreciation for our university and this program, and will recruit and develop young men who will represent Butler well."

A source said all three of Butler's full-time assistant coaches — Johnson, Pedon and Mike Schrage — are expected to follow Holtmann to Ohio State. That would leave Jordan to assemble an entirely new staff and attempt to retain what has been the highest-rated recruiting class in Butler history (ranked 27th by ESPN).

Jordan arrived at Milwaukee in April 2016, signing a five-year contract worth $350,000 a year. As a buyout, Butler would have to pay Milwaukee half of the amount of Jordan’s four remaining years, or a total of $700,000. That would be offset by an expected buyout of $2.5 million from Ohio State to Butler.

Jordan, a native of Albion, Mich., was 11-24 in his first season at Milwaukee, including a nine-game losing streak to end the regular season. Then he took the 10th-seeded Panthers all the way to the Horizon League tournament championship game. They won three games before losing to Northern Kentucky 59-53. 

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Besides serving as an assistant coach at Butler, Jordan has been at Iowa and Michigan. While at Michigan, the Wolverines reached the national championship game in 2013 and Elite Eight in 2014. Also during Jordan's tenure, Michigan had eight All-Big Ten guards and sent six players to the NBA.

After graduating from Butler in 2001 with a journalism degree, he played in Europe and the NBA’s Development League.

When he left Butler, he was the winningest player in school history with 91 victories. He helped the Bulldogs reach NCAA tournaments in 1998, 2000 and 2001. He was MVP of the 2001 Midwestern Collegiate Conference tourney and twice a second-team All-MCC selection.

He was on the Butler team that beat Wake Forest 79-63 in 2001 for the Bulldogs’ first NCAA tournament victory in 39 years. Eventual national runner-up Arizona eliminated Butler 73-52 in the round of 32.

After that game, Jordan told a news conference:

“If we played again tomorrow, we’d have a chance to win, no matter who we played against. We’re confident in our system and our program, and that’s just the way we are at Butler.

“We always think we have a chance.”

Call IndyStar reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

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